From TiVo to the Xbox 360, many living room electronics can benefit from a home network device such as D-Link's DGL-3420 GamerLounge Wireless 108AG Gaming Adapter. With this innovative product, you can bring any Ethernet-enabled peripheral in contact with your wireless home network.

The major application will be for gamers. If you've got an Xbox or a PS2 that you want to take online, this home network device makes it simple to get you up and gaming. In fact, D-Link makes it a snap for Xbox users to configure the DGL-3420. Simply plug the small box into a power outlet and into your Xbox or Xbox 360 and configure the settings from within the console's on-screen menus.

If you're setting up a PS2 or other peripheral with the DGL-3420, there's another step involved. You'll need to plug the home network device into a PC and run an online setup wizard to configure the device. Still, this is a relatively easy process that only needs to be done once.

After the DGL-3420 is configured and connected to your console, it will automatically detect your 802.11a or 802.11g (it's also 802.11b backward-compatible) wireless network, even if you're using a non-D-Link router. The small device, which is roughly 4 inches square and only 1 inch thick, can go almost unnoticed in a living room or den. There's an antenna on the back and three blinking LEDs on the front to keep you informed of the DGL-3420's connection status.

This home network device also supports WPA-PSK and 64/128-bit WEP encryption, so if need be, you can keep your data transfers between the DGL-3420 and your wireless network secure.

Online gaming was impressive with this home network device, and we didn't notice any difference between using it and a regular Ethernet cable. We did feel that some file downloads with Xbox Live weren't as fast as with a wired connection, but the difference was minor.

The DGL-3420 has an MSRP of $100, so it's not a cheap accessory. However, if you're looking to get your console or other Ethernet-enabled device connected to the internet without wires, D-Link's DGL-3420 GamerLounge Wireless 108AG Gaming Adapter is an easy-to-set-up home network device with a fast connection and support for dual wireless bands.

Pros: Good speeds, dual-band support
Cons: Somewhat pricey

Warranty
1 year